Rikkyo Intercultural Communication Society (RICS), since its foundation in July, 2004, has been committed to achieve the following aims in the field of Intercultural Communication Studies in Japan: (1) to advance research, education, and practice (2) to promote exchange of ideas among scholars and practitioners. Having "communication" as the key word, a variety of themes are covered at RICS, including language communication, interpreting and translation, intercultural communication, environmental communication, and other related fields. Membership consists of currently enrolled students, alumni, and faculty members at Rikkyo Graduate School of Intercultural Communication, and other members who support the goal and mission of RICS.

In contemporary global society, such critical issues as simultaneous advancement of "globalization" and "localization," rapid development of information technology, competition among civilizations, and ever deteriorating environmental problems seem to be creating more tension and confusion, while intensifying interconnection among people and cultures.
Such a complex situation demands theoretically grounded understanding of communication engaged by people from different cultural backgrounds, and creative practices that spring from such understanding. When we study communicative phenomena, it is important we understand the fact that people's patterns of thinking, language, and behavior are deeply driven by their cultures that have cumulated through history. In order for us to take a new step toward multicultural society, further research and education concerning culture and communication are, with no doubt, indispensable.
Since its establishment in April 2002, the fundamental attitude of Rikkyo Graduate School of Intercultural Communication is to recognize nature and various cultures in the world as "different" cultures. Founded upon this idea, the School has been dedicated to advance research and education on communication, with a goal of making contribution to prosperity of mankind and international community. The School graduated its first students with master's degree in March 2004, and inaugurated a doctoral program in the following April. On the occasion of these achievements, the School is prepared to take a step further by establishing an academic society. Rikkyo Intercultural Communication Society (RICS) is hereby founded as a forum to facilitate intellectual connections and promote pioneering studies in Japan, aiming to generate new and more holistic "Intercultural Communication Studies."

Promoters of RICS: Osamu Abe, Takashi Uchiyama, Teruyuki Kume, Wataru Koyama, Nobuya Seta, Kumiko Torikai, Adair Nagata, Ken-ichi Noda, Masako Hiraga, Tetsuo Mizukami, Akira Mizuno

Go to RICS web page (Japanese)